Blog Post

In last week’s SONKA blog, Adam Wirrig considered the readiness of most UCC congregations to welcome people of color (as well as other folks who are not “just like us”). He argued that most of our worship services are not welcoming to folks who have historically experienced other types of worship. And he’s absolutely right. I hear him, loud and clear! But in this blog, I want to argue the other side of the coin – and why I think that trying to change “our type” of worship to fit those who have not yet joined us might be like throwing out the baby with the bath water.

In my worldview, worship is not a “service” to parishioners; it is an experience that facilitates their encounter with God. The Spirit meets us in a variety of ways: in prayer, through the music, in the liturgy, and sometimes even (thank goodness) through the sermon. But one size fits only some. That’s why it’s so very difficult to plan an integrated worship experience! Oh, sure, anybody can choose a few hymns that everybody knows, grab some liturgy from a book, preach a sermon on the week’s lectionary text, and… presto: worship appears! Well… maybe. Although the Spirit can pull worship even from a mishmash, the very best worship designer takes into account what nurtures the congregation as a whole, and plans accordingly.

For example, consider the highly-charged question of what hymns to sing during worship. My congregation is mostly older. Much older. In fact, we have a few regular attenders who are in their 90s! They grew up with Fanny Crosby and “In the Garden.” But we also have some much younger folks who love Chris Tomlin and Rend Collective. So what hymns do I use for our worship? The majority of them are the old favorites, because they nurture my people, and they have nurtured my people throughout their lives. And I frequently include more recent hymns for those who are younger; but I do not structure the service around their experiences. Would it be a good idea for me to change my worship design completely in an attempt to “welcome” those who are used to something else? Some people would say “yes.” But what of my older, middle-class white folks? Where, then, do they encounter God?

I see this clearly when I look at churches who have decided to “welcome” younger people by completely changing the worship design virtually overnight. Out go the hand-sewn banners that the women’s guild so lovingly prepared. Out goes the choir, the choir robes, and the organ. And in its place, in comes the big-screen projector, the praise band, and the guitar. Oh, those churches grow, all right. But the older people – the saints in the church who have served their whole lives in that congregation – some sit in frustrated silence; while others leave, never to return. And my heart breaks for them.

Please don’t read this as a rejection of other worship designs. I took my theological training at a seminary that was intentionally multicultural. Worshipping in an African-American style with vocal responses to the preacher, applause, and upbeat music helps me experience God in a powerful way. But please DO read this as a plea not to abandon the folks who are already in the pews because we want to “attract new people” – younger people, people of color, immigrants, refugees, or anyone else. Because God’s kingdom isn’t an either-or; it’s a both-and. May God grant us the wisdom to remember that truth, and the sense to avoid throwing out the baby with the bathwater!

Boundary training will be offered for SONKA ministers at Harmony Creek Church, 5280 Bigger Rd, Kettering, Ohio, on Saturday, October 19th. You choose which of the two sessions to attend, each focusing on three case studies around boundary issues. The first session will be held from 9 a.m to Noon. The second will be from 1-4 p.m. To register for the MORNING session online, please click here. To register for the AFTERNOON sesssion online, click here. To see the flyer click here.